Opiate compounds such as (−)-naltrexone, (−)-naloxone, (−)-nalbuphene, (−)-nalmefene, and (−)-buprenorphine have been used for addiction therapy. (−)-Buprenorphine, in particular, is increasingly being used for the treatment of heroin addiction. Recently, the (+)-opiate enantiomers have been shown to have important bioactivities that differ from their (−) counter parts. Because of the exceptional opiate medicinal activity of (−)-buprenorphine, there is great interest in the therapeutic efficacy of (+)-buprenorphine. In order to explore the possible benefits of this compound, there is a need in the art for synthetic routes to produce (+)-buprenorphine or its derivatives in an efficient and cost effective manner that generates a high yield of product having a high degree of purity.